DECEMBER
158 | virginaustralia
NAVIGATE {wisdom}
LESSONS EARNT
ROBERT MUSSON took a shine to jewellery-designing when he was 16 years
old, leaving school to kick off a highly successful entrepreneurial journey.
Now, the founder of Musson reveals the secrets of success to his start-up self.
Dear Robert,
It all begins when you meet a German
jeweller who has come to work in Australia.
You're just a teenager, but when the
company he is working with offers you an
apprenticeship, you jump at the chance.
Leaving school at 16 might seem like a risk
but, by the end of your five-year experience,
you'll have won two Australian jewellery
design awards.
Don't undervalue this opportunity. You
will learn all the traditional skills of
hand-crafting bespoke jewellery before
technology takes over. This knowledge will
inform how you design and make signature
pieces throughout your career.
Soon the desire to go into business for
yourself will come calling. Don't resist it.
You'll marry Kerry in 1971 and her business
acumen will complement your design
talent. Together, you'll open your first
your workshop as its first Australian service
centre and this will be the beginning of
a long and valuable partnership.
Before you know it, your three sons will
be adults. You've always wanted them to
come into the business, and they'll each
add new and different dimensions to it.
But remember to keep work at work. Your
family gatherings will have a tendency to
become board meetings; you have to know
when each of you needs time apart.
Musson will continue to flourish and,
even when the internet emerges, avoid
slashing prices and staging perpetual
sales. Trust that your product is marketed
at the correct price to begin with and your
customers will see the value in quality.
The GFC will hit just as you implement
expansion plans to the Sydney CBD, but
stay the course. It will be cruel to all of us
in the luxury game but you'll come out the
other side. You'll learn to trust your talent
as a designer and not let hard times cloud
your passion. Continue to think of your
vocation as a hobby and you'll come to
work every day with a smile.
Always keep the big picture in mind
and never cut corners or compromise on
quality. That's as relevant today as it
was 40 years ago. And, perhaps most
importantly, know where you are, where
you are going and who is around you at
each step. Oh, and whatever you do, buy
more pink diamonds.
boutique in Sydney's northern suburbs.
It's 1972 and you're only 22, but don't get
overwhelmed. You'll need help to raise
finance and find a location, but Kerry will
quickly demonstrate her talent in this
area. You'll need to keep costs down, so
use your skills to fit out the store yourself.
The front window display is key. You
don't have to look like every other jewellery
store in town, so unleash your creativity.
Your unconventional window displays will
be a hit with the artistic souls at advertising
agencies and will become a drawcard for
generations of Sydney shoppers.
This design ethos will help drive your
development but, above all, understand
your brand. Musson is not here to make
trinkets, it's here to create heirlooms. Stay
true to that and success and gratification
will follow. Signing on as Cartier 's first
Australian retail outlet will be another big
step forward. Allow the company to use Robert Musson with wife Kerry in 1993, when he won the
Supreme Award in De Beers Diamond Jewellery Award.
Musson is not here to make trinkets, it's
here to create heirlooms. Stay true to that
and success and gratification will follow.
"
"
AS TOLD TO SHANE CONROY